After a rainy and very windy Friday, travelers should encounter a calmer weekend, with Sunday looking like the better of the days for getting around. Some travelers might be planning to take their first test drive along Maryland's new Intercounty Connector. In the District, Lady Gaga has left the building but there's a weekend of hockey, basketball and Bon Jovi at Verizon Center. For those seeking a longer-range weekend, check the Escapes column on Virginia's Peaks of Otter WInery. Here's a look at some of the late-winter travel obstacles you might encounter in your local journeys.

There are massive Red Line delays, this time due to a train that earlier had mechanical difficulties at Gallery Place. Metro says the problem has been resolved but there are reports of massive delays in the system with crowded trains and platforms.

Signal problems on the Brunswick Line will mean massive delays for passengers of the Maryland Area Regional Commuter (MARC) train service this afternoon. The Brunswick Line carries passengers between Washington and points north and west, including Frederick and Martinsburg, W.Va.

The Washington area has a windy afternoon ahead, according to the Post's Capital Weather Gang. Jason Samenow says gusts in excess of 40 mph are possible, and the area is under a high wind warning from 2 to 7 p.m.
However, airports in the Northeast are already experiencing severe delays due to the wind. New York and Philadelphia area airport delays are in excess of three hours in some cases, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, so check with your airline if you're connecting through any of those locations.

MADRID -- Spain will lower highway speed limits, cut train ticket prices and use more biofuel under an emergency energy-saving initiative because of soaring oil prices brought on by unrest in Libya, an official said Friday.

The possibility of thunderstorms and dangerous winds may cause many travel problems around the region. We may face power outages that play havoc with traffic signals and falling tree limbs and other debris that block travel lanes. The Bay Bridge is already operating under a wind warning, urging drivers of high-profile vehicles, especially house and box trailers, to use caution. Here are some resources for reporting power outages, downed trees and debris in roadways as the weather threatens to deteriorate.

Would you pay $1.45 to wait in this stop-and-go traffic? That's what would have been deducted from my E-ZPass as I drove under the toll gantry on the eastbound Intercounty Connector during the Thursday afternoon rush period, just before I reached the line of waiting vehicles you see in the photo above. They were all waiting to make turns onto Norbeck Road, at what is currently the eastern end of the connector.

Power to the street and sign lights on the 14th Street Bridges will be turned off Thursday night from 10 p.m to 5 a.m., according to the District Department of Transportation. Crews will be working on utilities on the bridge.

Metro leads the way with issues we're following today. Ann Scott Tyson reports on the surge in crime throughout the transit network and how it compares with other cities. Metro has almost as much as New York City's subway, which has many more riders.

The first segment of the region's newest toll road, the Intercounty Connector, opened to traffic Wednesday morning, linking the Interstate 270 corridor with Georgia Avenue. The new highway's official designation is MD 200.

The District Department of Public Works will hold a live online discussion today to discuss the expansion of street sweeping. The chat will cover daytime mechanical street sweeping, the addition of more streets to the street cleaning program and new street cleaning signs in some neighborhoods.

ATLANTA -- Ignition devices that stop drivers from starting their vehicles if they are over the alcohol limit help prevent people convicted of driving under the influence from re-offending, according to a new study.

The three-lane closure on the inner loop of the Capital Beltway in Tysons Corner has been canceled for tonight in the aftermath of today's snow. The closing, part of the Dulles Metrorail project, is scheduled to resume Wednesday night and continue overnights through Friday.

Just after announcing the completion of the President's Day weekend track work that shut stations on the Orange and Blue lines, Metro detailed the next round: a March 4-6 closing of the eastern end of the Orange Line and suspension of service between between Stadium-Armory and Benning Road on the Blue Line.

Metro says it successfully completed the work crews conducted during the weekend shutdown of the Smithsonian and Federal Triangle stations. The major work consisted of replacing track switches that allow trains to cross track. The National Transportation Safety Board...

Snowy weather in the northeast could cause some delays for folks with flights scheduled today. If you're flying out of town, here are some resources for more information on how your specific flight plans may be affected

Capital Weather Gang | Closings and delays 6:31 a.m. Update: Capital Bikeshare has reopened. Original post: Capital Bikeshare, the regional cycling network with locations in the District and Arlington County, is closed due to the snow falling across the region....

The planned opening of the first stretch of the Intercounty Connector was delayed until 6 a.m. Wednesday after forecasters predicted a wintry mix of rain, sleet and snow that authorities said was likely to stall last-minute work on the toll road.

We'll go into a cool down this weekend, but travel conditions still should be fine in the D.C. area, at least when it comes to the weather. Metro will launch its President's Day weekend track projects at 10 p.m. Friday. The main impact is the closing of Smithsonian and Federal Triangle stations, which severs the Blue and Orange lines in central Washington till the system's midnight closing Monday. Meanwhile, there's plenty of work going on along the Capital Beltway in Virginia. In Maryland, workers are getting part of the Intercounty Connector ready to open at 6 a.m. Tuesday.

The closing of the Orange and Blue lines this weekend in the heart of Washington means many people will be searching for ways to get to destinations along the National Mall and the adjacent areas. Metro is running free shuttle buses. But if you don't want to wait on a bus connection, you can use the rail system if you're willing to make transfers and look beyond Smithsonian and Federal Triangle stations, which are the two stops closed this weekend.

The planned closing of Smithsonian and Federal Triangle stations starting Friday night through the Tuesday reopening means that some trains may leave stations earlier than you expect so that they can make connections in the system. Metro says riders should get to stations 20 to 30 minutes earlier than normal if they're trying to catch the last train of the evening.